Hospital receives neurosurgery capacity

The Cayman Islands Hospital is getting new specialised neurosurgery equipment thanks to a $70,000 donation from the Aall Foundation.

The donation came through the Caring for Life Foundation, which partnered with the Aall Foundation to purchase the equipment to enable new neurosurgery services at the hospital in George Town, Grand Cayman.

This means that more neurosurgeries can be carried out locally, negating the need for patients to be flown off island. The equipment had never previously been available at the hospital.

To help obtain the necessary equipment, Health Services Authority’s Medical Director Dr. Greg Hoeksema contacted the Caring for Life Foundation, which was set up in 2010 to raise funding for the Health Services Authority.

“Caring for Life in turn approached the Aall Foundation and they were able to provide a very generous donation of $70,000 to purchase the necessary equipment,” Dr. Hoeksema said. “We are all sincerely grateful to the Aall Foundation for their remarkable generosity that allowed this new service to become a reality for the people of Cayman.”

Sophia Harris, of the Aall Foundation, said the charitable trust was proud to play such a major part in securing the equipment.

“We are delighted we could help to ensure that patients who are in need of this specialist care can now stay home in the Cayman Islands, especially when they are faced with critical conditions,” she said. “It will mean so much to both patient and family.”

Earlier this year, the Cayman Islands Hospital hired its first full-time neurosurgeon to carry out procedures locally.

“Besides the routine surgery being done, we have already had several patients with life-threatening injuries benefit from the new service,” Dr. Hoeksema said. “We hope other individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations will follow the lead of the Aall Foundation and consider gifting money to support the work of the Caring For Life Foundation in providing much needed equipment for the people of Cayman.”